Graham Linehan’s Edinburgh show cancelled over gender views
A comedy show featuring Father Ted and The IT Crowd writer Graham Linehan has been cancelled in Edinburgh over his gender-critical views.
The arts venue, Leith Arches, said it has cancelled the gig, which was due to take place Thursday (August 17), because it does not “align with our overall values”.
In a post shared to Instagram Tuesday (August 15), the venue wrote: “We are an inclusive venue and this does not align with our overall values.”
It also added that it was “brought to our attention at the very last minute of the very controversial line up”.
“We work very closely with the LGBT+ community, it is a considerable part of our revenue, we believe hosting this one off show would have a negative effect on future bookings.”
It concluded that their decision was “not influenced by the pressure of online activists, but by our regular community who use the space on a daily weekly and monthly bisis [sic].”
According to the BBC, Linehan responded on Twitter, now called X, writing: “It sure sounds like discrimination on the grounds of my legally protected beliefs.”
Linehan has made a number of anti-trans statements on his social media in recent years, and in 2018 was issued with a verbal harassment warning by police after he was involved in an online row with a transgender activist.
More recently, he accused Lambrini Girls of “supporting sterilising children” by speaking out for trans rights.
Back in 2020 he was banned from Twitter, but has since returned.
Last year also saw the cancellation of a ‘Father Ted’ musical over his controversial views, with the writer saying that he’s lost family over arguments that “have consumed his life”.
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Hollie Geraghty
NME
